Despite concerns, trees next to Bemidji field to come down

Wednesday

Jul 10, 2013 at 10:00 AM

Despite concerns from some that the community would lose a tree older than the college campus it sits on, a Bemidji State University representative said the tree must come down to complete improvements to its football field.

John Hageman, Forum News Service

Despite concerns from some that the community would lose a tree older than the college campus it sits on, a Bemidji State University representative said the tree must come down to complete improvements to its football field.

Three trees sit on the west end of Chet Anderson Stadium, where crews are replacing the natural grass with a synthetic turf. One of the trees is more than 100 years old, said Caitlyn Schuchhardt as she sat under the large white pine Tuesday.

An online petition to save the trees had almost 100 signatures by Tuesday evening.

Erika Bailey-Johnson, BSU’s sustainability coordinator, said a state Department of Natural Resources specialist who visited the site Tuesday afternoon determined it would take a lot to save the trees, considering the nearby construction.

“It’s too bad,” she said.

University spokesman Scott Faust said Tuesday evening that those trees are expected to be taken down soon.

“The area that would have to be protected during the construction to preserve the tree … would essentially make the project impossible,” Faust said.